YOG BA 2018: Lin (CHN) also imperial in the 3m

Lin Shan, from China, was unbeatable in the final of the women’s 3m springboard, repeating her success from the 10m platform, at the Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires (ARG). The Chinese talent concluded the 3m event with 505.50 points, more than 100 points ahead of Russia’s Uliana Kliueva (445.05, silver), and of Bridget O’Neil, from USA, third in 439.60. 

Lin Shan (17 years old) had already been the best in the morning preliminaries, collecting 506.80 points after her nine dives. The most successful combination had been a reverse 2 ½ somersaults (pike), for which she received 73.50 from the judges. In the top-3, Kliueva and Chiara Pellacani (ITA) concluded well behind the Asian ace, with 442.05 and 421.00 points respectively.

In the afternoon, Lin started well, with a back 2 ½ somersaults (DD 3.0), worth 63.00, but Maria Papworth (GBR), 12^th in the heats, performed clearly better with a 67.50 effort, also from a DD 3.0 dive, thus getting the second provisional place. The best combination of the round was however from Kimberly Bong, from Malaysia, with marks between 8.0/8.5, but with a low DD of 2.4. For Pellacani, the hope of a medal vanished at this stage, with a poor back 2 ½ somersaults (pike), only noted 46.50 by the judges.

In the second round, Bong, on a DD 2.7 was also quite solid, earning marks ranged from 7.5/8.5, for a 64.80 dive. Agundes Garcia, from Mexico (bronze medallist in the 10m), seventh until then, also performed well a back 2 ½ somersaults (pike, DD 3.0), climbing three positions in the provisional ranking. Kliueva slightly over-rotated with her dive (but still got marks between 7.0/7.5), while Lin continued quite regular and remained in the provisional lead (with a 24-point advantage over Bong). Kliueva was third at this stage.

For her third combination, Lin executed a flawless forward 3 ½ somersaults (pike), earning 77.50 points from the judges. The advantage of 50 points over Kluieva (who performed her worst dive of the final) was decisive for the final outcome. Meanwhile, for bronze, the fight was between Bong and O’Neil, but with a short advantage for the North American. 

In the final round, Lin had no problems with her forward 2 ½ somersaults 1 twist (pike), getting 73.50 for a total of 505.50, while Kliueva also managed to control her nerves and executed well the same combination. The silver medal was guaranteed, in 445.05. The final duel was between O’Neil and Maria Papworth, who had a very consistent final. For the same dive – also a forward 2 ½ somersaults 1 twist (pike) -, the  US diver scored 61.50, while the British only had 54.00. The bronze was definitively for O’Neil. 

Sofiia Lyskun, from Ukraine, silver medallist in the 10m platform event, was not so inspired in the lower board, finishing only 11^th.